LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, August 29, 2024
- Lithuania turns away 10 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
- EU foreign ministers to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine, situation in Gaza
- Lithuanian PM discusses Kubilius as candidate with EC president, sees need for change
- Conres LT to install X-ray systems at 2 Lithuanian rail stations for EUR 14 mln
- Lithuanian court rejects ex-MP's appeal against CEC's refusal to register him for election
- We're creating story we're fighters but we fail to deliver aid to Ukraine – Landsbergis
- Vilnius airport's central square reopens after renovation
- Lithuanian military receives German submachine guns for EUR 1.3 mln
- Lithuania's Interactio to provide interpretation services during COP29 in Baku (media)
- Ex-Lithuanian MEP Uspaskich named suspect in EUR 0.5 mln embezzlement case
- Lithuania's Liberal Movement unveils election program for parlt election
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, August 30, 2024
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, August 29, 2024
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, August 29.
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to continue his visit to France.
FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to attend an informal EU Foreign Council meeting in Brussels.
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Lithuania turns away 10 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away ten migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.
Latvia reported 26 attempts at illegal border crossings on Wednesday, and 35 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.
A total of 462 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year, a much lower number than in previous years.
The influx of irregular migrants to the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.
Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally in 2021. However, the vast majority of them fled Lithuania once they were allowed to move freely.
Lithuanian border guards have prevented a total of more than 22,300 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.
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EU foreign ministers to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine, situation in Gaza
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS – Lithuania's top diplomat Gabrielius Landsbergis is taking part in an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on Thursday to discuss Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the situation in Gaza.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expected to join the meeting to update his EU counterparts on the situation at the frontline, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.
Foreign ministers will also discuss the next steps following June's Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland, EU military assistance to Ukraine, and preparations for the UN General Assembly High-Level Week to rally support for Kyiv from global partners.
In the session on the Middle East, to be joined by Sigrid Kaag, the UN senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, EU ministers will discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the bloc's support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire plan, and efforts to prevent further escalation of the conflict in the region.
EU foreign ministers will also meet with their Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, to discuss shared interests and challenges in foreign and security policy.
Informal meetings of EU foreign ministers are typically held twice a year in the country holding the bloc's rotating presidency. However, following Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visits to Moscow and Beijing in July, Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, decided to hold Thursday's gathering in Brussels instead of Budapest.
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Lithuanian PM discusses Kubilius as candidate with EC president, sees need for change
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte says she has discussed the Andrius Kubilius as Lithuania's candidate for a European commissioner with EC President Ursula von der Leyen.
The prime minister also sees a need to change the national procedure for nominating candidates, which is "very atypical", she told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Thursday.
"We discussed him. (...) Since this was a tête-à-tête conversation, I can't give quotes, but it is very difficult to have a negative reaction to Kubilius' nomination, and it is very difficult to have any major criticism towards the candidate in general because the European People's Party, which was led von der Leyen, won the EP election," Simonyte said.
"Kubilius' experience is one that is very difficult to argue about. I think it will be good for the EC president to have people who have a solid reputation, very broad experience and can help her to do the great things that she herself mentioned in her speech in the European Parliament," the prime minister pointed out.
The portfolio Lithuania will get will depended on the person's competences, not their gender, Simonyte underlined.
She also pointed out that the country's legislation does not provide for the nomination of more than one candidate, therefore, the procedure might need to be reviewed.
"It is already difficult for us to put forward one candidate because there are so many steps in the process. I am not saying it would be difficult to nominate a second one, but there is simply no legal picture. Because under our law we are putting forward a candidate for a European commissioner,, not candidates, not multiple candidates," Simonyte said, adding that the existing procedure in the country is "probably too complicated".
"And not because there is room for one or the other link to get stubborn. I think there is a lot to think about, but the procedure is now ongoing, and I hope it will be successfully completed. Then, if there's will for the parliament to think about it during the next parliamentary term, we can think about it and get back to this issue because the Lithuanian procedure is really very atypical," the prime minister said.
She understands the pressure coming from von der Layen and agrees that it's important to have as many women as possible in high political positions, but this goal "is not purely legally enforceable" in Lithuania.
Kubilius, a former prime minister, is being nominated as Lithuania's European commissioner after President Gitanas Nauseda rejected Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, leader of the ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats.
Nauseda has already endorsed Kubilius' nomination.
Kubilius, a HU-LCD member, was re-elected to the European Parliament for a second term earlier this year.
The former prime minister, who has served as an MEP since 2019, is a strong advocate for closer ties between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries, increased support for Ukraine, and a tougher stance toward the Kremlin.
Lithuania's candidate for the European Commission is formally proposed by the government, but the nomination requires approval from both the president and the Seimas.
By Dominykas Biržietis
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Conres LT to install X-ray systems at 2 Lithuanian rail stations for EUR 14 mln
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS – Lithuania's construction company Conres LT has been awarded contracts worth almost 14 million euros in total, excluding VAT, to install X-ray control systems at the Kybartai and Stasylos railway stations, Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), said on Thursday.
LTG Infra, the state-owned railway group's infrastructure arm, and the Customs Department, which will finance the purchase of the equipment, have signed contracts with Conres LT, it said in a press release.
According to LTG Infra CEO Vytis Zalimas, the new X-ray systems will improve border control efficiency.
"Moreover, the installed X-ray inspection systems will speed up customs procedures by allowing inspections to be conducted without additional time delays, maneuvering, or occupying extra infrastructure, thus ensuring the fastest possible train movement through the transport corridor," he said in the press release.
The X-ray equipment will scan moving trains in their entirety, both length and height, with the systems automatically identifying each freight car type and operating continuously without interruption.
The installation of the X-ray systems is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2026.
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Lithuanian court rejects ex-MP's appeal against CEC's refusal to register him for election
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS – The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania on Thursday rejected an appeal by controversial ex-MP Petras Grazulis, the leader of the People and Justice Union (centrists, nationalists), against the Central Electoral Commission's refusal to register him as a candidate for the upcoming general election.
The ruling is final and binding.
Last week, the election watchdog refused to register Grazulis. According to the CEC, Grazulis does not comply with the requirement of the Electoral Code, stating that a person who has been impeached or has lost his mandate as a member of the Seimas may only be elected as a member of the Seimas when at least ten years have passed since the annulment of their mandate.
Grazulis was stripped of his mandate on December 18, 2023.
Grazulis had sought to lead his party's list of candidates. He maintains that standing for election and holding office under oath are two different things.
Grazulis argued that according to the Constitution and the Electoral Code, standing for election is considered a right to participate in the political process and not a position that requires an oath as provided for in the Constitution.
Last year, the Constitutional Court ruled that Grazulis had violated the Constitution and broken his oath by deliberately voting for another member of the Seimas when latter didn’t see it. As a result, he lost his mandate through impeachment.
Grazulis is still on trial for expressing contempt for LGBTQ people, and he was previously found guilty in a corruption case for acting in the interests of Judex, a producer of frozen products.
Lithuania will elect its new parliament on October 13.
By Greta Zulonaitė
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We're creating story we're fighters but we fail to deliver aid to Ukraine – Landsbergis
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has criticized the West for being too slow in delivering aid to Ukraine as it continues to fight against Russian aggression.
"We are creating the narrative, the story to tell our citizens that we are fighters for what's good, but when it comes to deliveries, the story sometimes is very different," he told reporters in Brussels ahead of EU foreign ministers' informal meeting on Thursday.
The meeting will be also attended by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba who will brief his EU counterparts on the front line situation.
Last night, Russia attacked a number of regions in Ukraine, with the Ukrainian Air Force saying that the shot down two Russian missiles and 60 attack drones.
This is the third mass attack against Ukraine this week.
"Once again, we have to ask ourselves a question whether we ourselves are not a part of this problem. So far, no Patriot batteries that have been promised in Washington have been delivered. No new ammunition packages have been delivered since June, out of the F-16s that have been delivered, they have started using just a couple of them," Lithuania's top diplomat said.
He also sited "rough calculations" that Russia is capable of carried out six similar attacks on Ukraine, using the money it received from the sale of oil and gas to the European Union.
"Taking into account that its not just gas and oil that we are buying. So, I'm asking again whether we part of the problem?" Landsbergis said.
According to the minister, talks with the Ukrainians have revealed that part of the aid promised to them last year will not be delivered until 2027.
Germany's plans to cut military aid to Ukraine next year have also caused concern among allies. Its latest draft budget includes around 4 billion euros for Ukraine next year, down from around 8 billion euros in 2024.
Germany is the second largest provider of aid to Ukraine after the United States.
"The Ukrainians are worried, the Eastern flank is worried because we all understand if the Ukrainians do not get the assistance they were promised, it opens the door for Putin to continue," Landsbergis said.
EU foreign ministers traditionally meet for informal meetings every six months in the country holding the rotating EU presidency and were due to meet in Budapest. However, following Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visits to Moscow and Beijing in July, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell decided to move the meeting to Brussels.
According to the Lithuanian foreign minister, such a decision sends a clear signal that European countries do not share Hungary's policy.
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Vilnius airport's central square reopens after renovation
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS – Vilnius Airport's central square reopened to passengers and vehicles at 4 a.m. on Thursday, offering three times as many parking spaces – 350 in total – as before its renovation.
Arnas Dumanas, head of development at Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU), said the renovation project, one of the most challenging stages of the airport's expansion, was completed a month ahead of schedule.
"Both the future terminal capacity and the current transport access will definitely double. In terms of parking, the number of spaces in this area has increased threefold from before. We also have a larger canopy to protect against rain and heat," he told reporters at the airport.
Dumanas added that this phase of construction was especially difficult due to the need to manage passenger flows.
Paulius Ivanauskas, project manager at LTOU, said that traffic to and from the airport will now operate on a circular route.
"Previously, we had five different entrances to the airport; now we will have one main entrance and one main exit, so everything will follow a circular pattern," he said.
Almantas Cebanauskas, CEO of Eikos Statyba, the contractor for the 9.5-million-euro central square renovation project, said that the airport's 50-million-euro passenger departure terminal will likely be completed about a month earlier than the scheduled date of February 4, 2025. However, this does not mean that passengers will have immediate access.
LTOU last January unveiled plans to invest around 180 million euros in renovating Vilnius Airport's terminals and building new ones.
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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Lithuanian military receives German submachine guns for EUR 1.3 mln
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS – Submachine guns made by Germany's Heckler & Koch GmbH have been delivered to the Lithuanian Armed Forces for 1.3 million euros, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.
The MP7 A2s were chosen for their tactical advantages, including their weight, rapid firing capability, and armor-piercing power, it said, noting that these guns are also used by armed forces in 24 NATO countries.
This marks the first time the Lithuanian military will use such submachine guns, according to the ministry.
The MP7 A2 is more compact than the larger-caliber submachine guns currently in use, it noted.
"This will greatly facilitate coordination within the team during operations in confined spaces. With its reduced bullet caliber but increased powder charge, the MP7 A2 has better penetration power and faster firing, and meets rapid-fire requirements," the ministry said.
The 4.6x30 mm ammunition of these submachine guns can penetrate ballistic protection, unlike the 9x19 mm ammunition.
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Lithuania's Interactio to provide interpretation services during COP29 in Baku (media)
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS – Interactio, a Lithuanian software company, has won a tender to provide simultaneous interpretation services during the UN climate change conference COP29 in Baku in November, the vz.lt business news website reports.
According to the company, its simultaneous interpretation platform will help delegates from 192 countries to communicate during the conference.
Interactio's business development manager Aleksejus Zubcovas says the company is estimated to earn around 2 million feuros or its services, but the exact value of the contract will be known after the event.
"It is probably not that difficult to calculate, in percentage terms, how important COP29 is for Interactio as an organization," he told the website.
Registered in Vilnius, Interactio posted 5.7 million euros in revenue for 2023, down by 32.8 percent from 2022.
In 2021, Interactio attracted 30 million US dollars in investments after several foreign and Lithuanian fund managers invested in the Lithuanian company.
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Ex-Lithuanian MEP Uspaskich named suspect in EUR 0.5 mln embezzlement case
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS - The European Public Prosecutor's Office has issued a notice of suspicion to ex-Lithuanian MEP Viktor Uspaskich, leader of the Labor Party, in a 500,000 euro embezzlement case, prosecutor Vytautas Kukaitis told BNS on Thursday.
"Yes", he said when asked whether Uspaskich was the suspected MEP mentioned in the EPPO's report.
The politician is suspected of abuse of office, document forgery, illegal acquisition, possession and use of an electronic document, and the acquisition of a very large amount of EU assets.
The investigation is looking into the alleged abuse of power between 2014 and 2020, when, acting in a group of accomplices, the suspects falsified documents, failed to perform or simulated the functions of an assistant to a MEP, and acquired EU assets worth more than 500,000 euros.
The notice of suspicion was issued to Uspaskich during the questioning on Wednesday, Kukaitis told BNS.
Uspaskich later told BNS he was "very calm" about the allegations.
"I don't think anything. I am very calm about this," the politician said.
Asked whether he gave evidence and how long the questioning lasted, Uspaskich said: "Why would I have to tell you anything. I have every right not to answer such questions."
He wants to get acquainted with the allegations to be able to comment on whether he's guilty or not.
A total of two persons have been named suspects as part of this investigation. They have signed written pledges not to leave and had their ID documents seized.
Interim measures on large-scale property rights have also been put in place to secure the compensation for possible damage.
The law enforcement authorities have not yet provided more derails on the investigation that was first publicly announced last spring.
Uspakich served as a MEP from 2019 to 2024, but was not active either in Brussels or in local politics.
He was supposed to lead the Labor Party candidates list in this year's European Parliament election, but these plans were abandoned after the investigation came to light.
Uspaskich suspended his Labor Party membership but re-emerged as the party's interim leader after the unsuccessful EP election. He has also taken on the task of leading a three-party coalition in the general election in October.
By Augustas Stankevičius, Saulius Jakučionis
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Lithuania's Liberal Movement unveils election program for parlt election
VILNIUS, Aug 29, BNS – Lithuania's Liberal Movement on Thursday unveiled its election program for the upcoming general election and vows "not to interfere" with efforts to mobilize society and ensure continuity of the country's foreign and defense policy.
"We are committed to mobilizing active, courageous and free people. Those who have ideas and those who just need an impulse or support (...). We commit to remain active and encourage others to act. Our vision is to empower everyone to pursue their goals as much as possible," the party's leader Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the Seimas, said as she opened the event.
"Unite. Act. Do not interfere" is the party's slogan for the October election.
"Noninterference is a very liberal word. I like it very much in our program because it means that the state should not interfere and burden citizens with excessive restrictions, bureaucratic procedures, interfering in their private lives, where it is possible not to do so," she later told journalists.
The party remains committed to liberal values based on the dignity and freedom of the individual.
According to Cmilyte-Nielsen, her party's biggest election rivals are its existing coalition partners: the conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats and the Freedom Party.
"We don't see us working with radical parties, parties controlled by oligarchs, and parties that have questions about who Crimea belongs to," Cmilyte-Nielsen.
The Liberal Movement's program consists of fourteen chapters and focuses on the economy and transport, foreign policy and national security, education and science, agriculture, health and social policy.
"It is very important to ensure the continuity of foreign policy, defense policy, and this goes beyond a single parliamentary term," the party's leader said, adding that it is crucial to continue funding national defense and to agree on a new defense pact.
According to Cmilyte-Nielsen, there is no need for drastic decisions in the field of health and education at the moment, and this is reflected in the program.
"Now is the time to consolidate what has been started"," she noted.
The program also includes chapters on culture, environment and energy, local government and political society, human rights, national minorities, youth and sports policy.
A Spinter Tyrimai survey for the delfi.lt news website showed in early August that 6.4 percent would vote for the Liberal Movement.
The party won 6.79 percent in the 2020 Seimas election and its political group in the Seimas has 12 members.
Lithuania will elect a new parliament on October 13.
By Paulius Perminas
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, August 30, 2024
VILNIUS, Aug 30, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, August 30.
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with Denis Becirovic, chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at 11 a.m.; a meeting of the delegations of the Lithuanian president and the chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina 11.30.m.; press statements by the Lithuanian president and the chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina at 12.10 p.m.; to meet with Andrius Kubilius, Lithuania’s candidate for a European Commissioner at 3 p.m.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to meet with Denis Becirovic, chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at 2.35 p.m.
PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to meet with Denis Becirovic, chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at 3.40 p.m.
DEFENSE MINISTER Laurynas Kasciunas to attend and informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to attend the GLOBSEC security forum in Prague.
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